Meat compressor and retainer.



V B, 11 w. s. HUTSON. MEAT COMPRESSOR AND RETAINER.

I APPLIOATIOH TILED NAB-.24. 1910.

Patented 1 11.25, 1911.

WITNESSES: INVENTORS 1/01; 1%:[80/1 Q. V f 0401511714.)

' ATTORNEYS 1n: ncmus IKTIIS m. Illumnclau. I c.

HENRY HUTSON AND WALTER S. HUTSON, F POCATELLO, IDAHO.

liIEAI' COHIPBESSOR AND RETAINER.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Apr. 25, 1911.

Application filed March 24, 1910. Serial No. 551,342.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatwe, Hnxnv HFISON and \VALTER S. Hnrsox, citizens of the United States, and residents of Pocatello, in the county of Bannock and State of Idaho, have invented a new and Improved Meat Conipressor and Retainer, of which the following is a fuli, clear, and exact description.

The invention is an improvement in appliances for compressing ams and other pieces of neat (generally after the bone has been removed) in an expansible and contractible cylinder, and has in view a simple device having one or more chains or like members arranged to pass around the cylinder and cross underneath, and a lever to draw the chains tight about the cylinder and compress the meat, and having hooks to engage in the links of the chains.

The invention further resides in acompressor cylinder having a lap-joint at the side, with the lapped portions of the joint freely movable over each other to admit of the expansion and contraction of the cylinder, the cylinder having a smooth imperforate inner wall, whereby the cylinder is easily applied to the meat and kept in a clean and sanitary condition, as well as confining the meat juices.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both views.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of our improved compressor and cylinder, the latter being shown in posit-ion preparatory to binding it about the meat under the action of the compressor; and Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side view of the same.

In the construction of our improved compressor we employ a base preferably constructed of angle-irons 5, which are secured to the top of a table or other support 6, substantially parallel and in spaced relation. the angle-irons being preferably constructed from a single piece of sheet metal which is slit on its longitudinal center, with the portions of metal at the side of the slit turned upwardly to form upright flanges 7, the plate from which the angle-irons are produced being extended beyond each end thereof, with the extended portion at one end turned downwardly to form a flange 8. and the portion at t .e opposite end turned upwardly to form a flange 9, he flange 8,

1 as shown, abutting againstthe front edge of l the table or support. An operating lever 10, of bell-crank or angular form, is constructed with two arms rigidly connected together at. the free end of the lever by a handle 11, at an intermediate pointby a cross-bar 12, and at their opposite ends by a pivot rod 13, the cross-bar being arranged to seaton the top edges of the upright flanges 7, when the outer portion of the lever is in an upright position, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and the pivotrod 13 being removably received in slots 1- formed in the forward ends of the upright flanges 7. A chain 15, is connected at one end to each of the flanges 7, preferably at- .the inner side thereof adjacent, to the flange 9, and is designed to pass about an expansible and contractible meat compressor cylself at the under side of the cylinder, with the end portion passing toward the operating lever arranged at the outside of the upright flange, where on of its links is detachably engaged with a hook 17, the hooks being pivoted to the operating lever at the angles of the arms.

The cylinder 16 is preferably made of sheet metal, with the ends open, and having alap joint 18, the lapped portions of which are freely movable over each other to permit of the expansion and contraction of the cylinder, the inner wall of the cylinder being imperforate and smooth, so that the juices of the meat are confined, and the cylinder easily moves over the surface be kept-clean and in a sanitary condition.

In the operation of the appliance, the ham or other piece of meat with the bone removed, is placed within the cylinder when the latter is seated on the upright flanges 7, as shown in the drawings. The chains are then passed about the cylinder, as illustrated, and are drawn up with the hand and engaged with the books 17. By then drawing over the operating lever by grasping the handle 11 and forcing this portion of the lever sufficiently forward to extend downwardly at the front of the table or support, the lever is locked against the pull on the chains and the meat is firmly compressed in the cylinder. Tie-wires are then applied about the cylinder before the lever is thrown {up to release the chains, after which the cylinder is removed and the meat cooked inder 16, each chain, as shown, crossing 1t-,

of the meat when it is contracted and may within it. By reason of the slots 14 in Whith the pivot-rod 13 is engaged, the operating lever can obviously be detached and removed when not in use, thus enabling the apoliance to be closely packed for shipment an stowage. 4

Having thus described our invention, We claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent: 7

1. In an appliance for compressing meat, in an expansible and contractible cylinder, 21 base having a seat for the cylinder, a chain having one end attached to the base and arranged to pass around the cylinder and cross itself below said seat, and means to draw on the opposite end of the chain to contract the cylinder, having a hook to engage with the chain, the hook adjustable from one link to another of the chain, Whereby the diameter of the cylinder after the compression, is controlled.

2. In an appliance for compressing meat in an expansible and contractible cylinder, a base having a seat for the cylinder, a flexible member having one end attached to the base and arran ed to pass around the cylinder, an angular lever fulcrumed at one end to the base, and means to engage the opposite end of said member, connected to the lever at the angle thereof.

3. A meat compressor comprising a base having upright flanges spaced apart and constituting a seat for the meat, at flexible member to pass around and compress the meat, having one end 'ixed, and an angular lever fulcrumed at one end in the said flanges, having means to engage the other end of the said member connected to the lever adj-cent to the angle thereof.

at. In an appliance for compressing meat in an expansible and contractible cylinder, a base having upwardly-turned flanges providing a seat for the cylinder, chains, each having one end attached to the base and arranged to pass around the cylinder, an angular lever having two arms respectively arranged adjacent. to the flanges of the base and fulcrumed at their outer ends in said flanges, and hooks fulcrumcd to the arms of the lever adjacent to the angle thereof and adapted to engage in the links of the opposite ends of the chains.

5. In an appliance for compressing meat in an expansible and contractible cylinder, a base having upright flanges on which the cylinder is adapted to seat, said flanges having slots at the forward ends, a flexible member having one end attached to the base and arranged to pass around the cylinder,

an angular lever having a pivot-pin removably engaged in the slots of the flanges, and means to detachably engage the opposite end of said member, connected to the lever adjacent to the angle thereof.

In an appliance for compressing meat in an expansible and contractible cylinder, a base iaving upwardly-turned flanges, an angular lever fulcrumed in said flanges and having a cross-bar adjacent to the angle thereof adapted to seat on the top of the flanges, chains, each having one end attached to the base and arranged to pass about the cylinder, and hooks to removably engage in the links of the chain, fulcrumed to the lever adjacent to the angle thereof.

In testimony whereof We have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses HENRY HUT SON. \VALTER S. HUTSON.

\Vitnesses v J. T. LOGAN, CHAS. LEE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. i 

